


Twist of Fate - part 2 of 3

by awriterfandf



Series: Sailor Moon - an alternate reality [41]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga), Girls und Panzer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:01:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28780905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awriterfandf/pseuds/awriterfandf
Summary: Continued from part 1.
Series: Sailor Moon - an alternate reality [41]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095488





	Twist of Fate - part 2 of 3

**Twist of Fate - part 2 of 3**

**Chapter 14:**

At lunchtime the following day, five teenage girls filed down a hallway, following their classmates into the Ooarai Girls Academy's cafeteria. After waiting in line for Usagi to finally decide on her meal, they wandered over to what had become their usual corner table.

Rei eyed Usagi's overloaded tray. "Did you manage to leave anything behind for the other students to eat, Usagi-chan? You bought enough food to feed a small army."

"I'm celebrating, Rei-chan!" her blonde friend smiled happily. "I actually passed this morning's math test!"

"Quick, someone alert the school paper" Makoto chuckled. "That shocking event should make their headline of the month. Or maybe even the year."

"Mako-chan, be nice!"

"Gomen, Usagi-chan" the brunette grinned back. "I couldn't resist."

Usagi took a sip of her coffee. "Minako-chan, you've been awfully quiet today. Is it because you're missing your fiancee so much?"

"No. That's not the reason, Usagi-chan. At least... not the main reason." The usually bubbly-bright, talkative girl beside her sat silently for a time, toying idly with her food. "I think I've finally gone too far."

"Is it because you promised during dinner last night to find everyone on the Anglerfish team a boyfriend?" Ami quietly asked her troubled friend.

"Hai."

"And on a ship at sea, with no teenage boys" Rei pointed out. "Minako-chan, you really need to rethink that matchmaker hobby you keep blathering on about. You shouldn't have promised those girls the moon, then expected yourself to work miracles to somehow make it happen."

"Well, what's done is done, Rei-chan. And I can't disappoint them. I just _can't!_ They're all counting on me!" Minako breathed a deep, heavy sigh. "Didn't you see that happy look of expectation on Yukari's face? I can't let her down. I can't let _any_ of our new friends down. It just wouldn't be right."

"I'm sure they'll understand, Minako-chan" Ami softly spoke, gently touching the blonde's arm.

The troubled girl shook her head and fell silent again, staring wordlessly at her plate while her friends quietly continued on with their lunch.

Minako looked up in surprise a few moments later when Rei quietly said, "It's probably a long shot, but there still may be hope."

The blonde replied with a blank stare across the table. "How?"

"By trusting in fate, Minako-chan."

With that, Rei abruptly stood and excused herself. "Minna, stay here and finish your meals. I should be back in time for our next class." To the puzzlement of her four dearest friends, she picked up her as-yet untouched bowl of rice and walked out of the cafeteria, disappearing from sight down a hallway.

. . . . .

Hoping she could still remember the correct route from one of the Academy's colorful wall-mounted maps she had examined two days prior, the raven-haired girl quickly strode across the large campus until eventually reaching a secluded, tree-lined area which contained, beyond several vacant park benches, a small Shinto shrine. Finding it deserted, she bowed humbly before its red torii gate before walking under it and passing between a small pair of carved stone komainu. The girl performed the required brief water purification ritual, then knelt before the kamidana, reaching up to place her offering of rice upon the sacred altar.

With her thoughts focused on Minako, as well as on her five new acquaintances whom she realized were quickly becoming good and trustworthy friends, the young miko offered a silent prayer to Ichikishima-hime-no-mikoto, the Shinto goddess of emotion and love.

. . . . .

Having finished viewing the three recorded episodes of Girls und Panzer that Setsuna had provided earlier, four increasingly concerned teenage boys sat quietly waiting in the living room of Makoto's country home.

"Minna, it's nearly noon." Ito Yuji broke the boys' silence after glancing at a nearby ticking wall clock. "Would anyone like something to eat?"

"Not me, Yuji-chan" his brother replied. "I'm not feeling very hungry at the moment." The other two boys also declined the offer, too worried to think of anything but their beloved and still absent fiancees.

They looked up when Setsuna reentered the house ten minutes later, followed by Haruka. The greenish-haired young woman held another videotape in her hand, and was smiling.

"Minna, I have new information about the girls."

Yuuichirou immediately clambered to his feet. "Are they still safe, Setsuna-san?"

"Likely yes." She sat beside the teens on the sofa. "Your fiancees were not taken to another existence by some accidental disruption in the fabric that connects our dimension with theirs. Nor were they spirited away by kidnappers or the like. The girls were deliberately sent there by none other than our future Queen Serenity."

"Nani? _Usagi_ took them from us?" Ryo exclaimed. "But... _why?"_

"The answer to that question is still unclear, Ryo-chan. However, we can all rest more easily, now knowing that this was in fact a planned event, and will undoubtedly reach its eventual timely conclusion."

"This makes me feel a lot better" Yuji breathed in relief. "I can't imagine why our girls were sent to such a strange place, but knowing Usagi, now I'm _sure_ it has nothing to do with tanks!"

"So they'll safely come home to us, Setsuna-san?" Taro smiled for the first time that day. "That's fantastic news!"

"Hai, they should, Taro-chan" Setsuna nodded. "The question now is... when."

. . . . .

Finding herself unable to sleep, Hino Rei glanced at her bedside alarm clock, noting that it was nearly midnight. She donned her school uniform, the white and green fuku having become comfortably familiar to her now. Leaving her apartment, she headed towards the nearest point on the ship that gave a view of the ocean, pausing only briefly at a nearby Sunkus convenience store that was about to close for the night.

The raven-haired girl soon reached one of many curved railings that extended the walkway slightly further out over the water. Beneath the soft yellow hue of a crescent moon, embedded within a sea of twinkling stars, she stood listening to the faint sound of waves churned up somewhere far below by the hull of the massive vessel.

After a time, Rei reached into her small purse to retrieve her purchase. Just after she had lit a cigarette, her first in nearly two weeks, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her as someone approached. Kino Makoto walked up beside her and placed her hands on the rail, her green eyes gazing out across the vastness of the sea. "Having trouble sleeping, Rei-chan?"

"Hai, a little. You?"

"I'm worried about that exhibition match with St. Gloriana coming up on Saturday. It's a four-on-four, and Miho is taking a big chance including our tank as part of her team. She's really sticking her neck out." The taller girl frowned. "I don't think we'll be ready."

"I was wondering about that too" the miko nodded. "We certainly weren't very sharp during Sensha-do practice today, Mako-chan. Perhaps the shock of us coming here, and having to adjust so quickly to this new environment, is beginning to catch up to us."

"Could be." The brunette chuckled, "Out with the other tanks this afternoon, we must've looked like one of those wooden ducks at a shooting gallery."

The pair turned as more footsteps approached, these belonging to Usagi and Ami. As was typical for the girl, Usagi was working her way through a bag of chips, her first late-night snack of the evening. "Ohayou, Rei-chan. Ohayou, Mako-chan. Isn't it a beautiful, peaceful night?"

"It _was_ , Usagi-chan" Rei teased. "'Until you turned up. Can't you eat more quietly?"

"It's ok, I'm nearly finished."

The raven-haired girl frowned as Usagi's bag-rustling and chip-crunching intensified. "All done! Ohh, now I'm thirsty!"

Rei muttered, "Not to mention annoying."

Ami asked, "May I have a cigarette, Rei-chan?"

"Certainly." Her friend passed her one, then lit it for her.

Usagi peered quizzically at the blue-haired girl. "Ami-chan, I thought you told us a few months ago that you tried smoking but didn't like it all that much."

"Hai, I did, Usagi-chan" Ami agreed. "But tonight for some reason, I really feel like having one. Besides..." she smiled, "you know what they say. When in Rome..."

"Nani? We're headed to _Rome_ now? I thought we were going to Yokohama."

Rei rolled her eyes. "No, we aren't going to Rome, baka! It was just a figure of speech. Usagi-chan, you really do need to read more than just manga."

"I'll have you know that tonight I spent a whole entire half-hour studying that tank instruction book, Grumpy-chan! Especially the part about the radio. I think I'm finally beginning to figure out how to work the stupid thing."

Makoto grinned at the odango-haired girl. "I'm sure the other teams will be happy to hear that, Usagi-chan. Saori and the other radio operators must all have wicked headaches tonight after those loud blasts of static you made every time you tried talking to them today."

Usagi giggled, "I _was_ kind of noisy, wasn't I?"

'"Usagi-chan" Rei muttered, "You're _always_ noisy. And hungry. And thirsty. And-"

"Be quiet, Rei-chan!"

. . . . .

**Chapter 15:**

The next morning found the girls walking to school together through an incredibly dense, swirling fog. "This is ridiculous!" Usagi grumbled, angrily waving her arms in the thick mist. "How are we supposed to practice Sensha-do when we can hardly see each other?"

On her next step she stumbled over an uneven seam in the sidewalk, nearly planting herself face-first on the concrete if not for Minako's quick reflexes. The other blonde walking behind Usagi lunged forward and grabbed her shoulder. "Got you!"

"Arigatou, Minako-chan. You saved my neck." Usagi scowled, "Ohh! I hate fog!"

"Did you have a nice _trip_ , Usagi-chan?"

"Don't start, Rei-chan! It's too early in the morning to listen to your dumb jokes! At least Minako is being helpful." She told her rescuer, "You _do_ sound a lot happier today, Minako-chan. That's good to know! Everyone was getting worried about you."

"Worried? About _me?_ Minna, I'm fine!" the bubbly blonde insisted. "I admit, I was feeling a little down yesterday, but that's all in the past." She told the girl walking beside her, "I'm taking your advice, Rei-chan. I'm going to stop worrying and let fate sort everything out."

"Finally you're using some common sense, Minako-chan" the miko replied. "It's about time."

"Hai!" Minako nodded, smiling brightly. "Because even _fate_ has to recognize the incredible skills of the world's greatest matchmaker! I'm sure it will be happy to help me find the perfect guys for Miho and her team, just like I promised them!"

"Um... so much for common sense, Rei-chan" Ami giggled.

. . . . .

They managed to reach the tank hangar without further incident, and gathered outside with the other teenage girls who were also arriving there. Miho smiled and waved at everyone. "Minna, ohayou! Nasty weather we're having this morning, isn't it?"

Usagi and her friends were surprised to see Mako there as well, standing nearby with her head tipped forward and her eyes closed.

"If you say so, Miho-san" the Anglerfish team's driver murmured. Her petite body wobbled unsteadily on her feet. "I assume it _is_ morning, by the way."

From out of the fog-shrouded collection of teenage girls, Yukari suddenly appeared, wearing a devilish grin and clutching her bugle. She slowly crept up behind the barely-conscious girl, stood as close as she dared, and raised the brass instrument to her lips, pausing to take a long, deep breath.

"Yukari, don't you _dare_ blow that thing at me."

" _Gomen nasai, Mako-san!"_ The brown-haired girl quickly scurried away, deeply disappointed, while the other teens giggled.

"Nice try, Yukari!" Miho laughed. "Better luck next time!"

The three Student Council members arrived last, standing in line at the front of the group. "Quiet please!" Momo ordered. "Your Council President would like to say a few words to everyone before we begin today's practice."

"Ohayou" Anzu began. "I need to make a few things clear about tomorrow night's shore-party in Yokohama. First, I've been hearing complaints about how boring and pointless it is, and how some of you are planning not to attend." The diminutive third-year student fixed her gaze on Mako. "Let me make this perfectly clear. Attendance at the event is compulsory for all Sensha-do members. There will be _no_ exceptions."

Scattered groans filled the air as Anzu continued, "I know what some of you are thinking. You're still planning on skipping out. Well, you do so at your own peril." She turned to the girl at her right. "Momo, tell everyone what the punishment is for playing hooky."

The tall, thin girl smiled evilly beneath her half-glasses. "Anyone not attending the shore-party will be required to perform the Anglerfish dance while riding through the center of Yokohama on the back of a flatbed truck, along with all other members of her team." She paused for dramatic effect as an even louder chourus of groans and gasps ensued. _"In full costume."_

Mako frowned and opened her eyes. "And what if we refuse _that_ unspeakable torture, Momo-chan?"

" _Don't call me Momo-chan!_ " Momo blurted. She went on, "The penalty for skipping the event, and the dance of shame as well, is the loss of two hundred and fifty school credits."

"Minna, it isn't worth it!" Yuzu pleaded with the students. "The party won't be that bad. Please attend!"

Usagi whispered to Saori who was standing nearby, "What's an Anglerfish dance, Saori-san?"

"For single girls, it's a fate worse than death itself" the ginger-haired teen solemnly whispered back. "I'll tell you about it later, Usagi-san."

"Oh. ok."

Anzu told the disgruntled teens, "Minna, cheer up. It's not all bad news. We all know that our record against St. Gloriana isn't exactly the best. Actually, it kinda stinks. So, we're offering a prize if we defeat them on Saturday. Momo, tell them what the prize is."

"If we win the match, all Sensha-do members on all teams, including anyone not actively participating on Saturday, will receive a two-day exemption from classes. That's right, no school for you on Monday or Tuesday. So you can spend the time visiting the city, sleeping late, or... whatever."

Mako looked pleadingly at her commander. "Miho, we need to win this."

Momo wrapped up the meeting. "Minna, that concludes our morning announcements. Let's all get busy and have a productive practice session."

After the teams had bowed to the Council members, Makoto and Ami exchanged puzzled glances. "What was _that_ all about?" the brunette wondered. "I mean, how bad can a dance be?"

Ami replied, frowning in disapproval, "I don't know, Mako-chan, but I fail to see how anyone could consider an exemption from classes to be a good thing."

"Only you would think that" Makoto chuckled. She gestured through the still-billowing fog in the general direction of their waiting Panzer. "I have some new ideas for us to try. Let's get the ball rolling."

. . . . .

As the five teens entered the building and approached their tank, Usagi's eyes lit up. "Minna, look! They finally painted our new team crest on the turret thing! Isn't it nice?"

A large golden crescent moon now adorned both sides of the dark grey Panzer, a decision the girls had argued over for hours until Usagi had finally won the right to decide by winning a game of Janken, the Japanese equivalent of rock-paper-scissors.

Rei looked up at the insignia and wrinkled her nose in disapproval. "So that's the best you could come up with, Usagi-chan?"

"What's wrong with it, Picky-chan?"

"I think it makes our tank look like a giant outhouse."

"How _rude!"_

"Actually" Ami reasoned aloud, "its circular design loosely resembles a target bullseye, Rei-chan. It may give the other teams a good reference point for aiming their guns at us."

"Just what we needed" the miko muttered. She climbed onto the hull and, after frowning deeply at the logo in front of her open hatch, disappeared inside her tank.

. . . . .

"Minna, it's been at least ten minutes since we started this last-tank-standing game, and I haven't heard anyone fire a single shot yet" Rei remarked while their Panzer clattered slowly forward through a grove of trees.

Makoto replied from her position above the turret, "Probably because nobody can find anyone else to attack, Rei-chan. The fog's thicker than ever out here."

Minako took one hand off a control lever to wipe her viewport with a rag. "This silly driving window is steaming up again! It's _so_ annoying!"

"The radio is really quiet too" Usagi said. "I haven't heard a single peep from anyone."

"Oh? Is it switched on?" Rei smirked at the girl in front of her.

"Nani? _Of_ _course_ it's on, Rei-chan!" Usagi blustered. "Look, I'll prove it!" She reached across to check the power switch. "How dumb do you think I... oh... uh... never mind."

"Baka."

. . . . .

Not far away, Miho stood in the turret of her silent, mist-shrouded Panzer, listening intently as a similar-sounding machine slowly clanked past somewhere ahead. "Minna, I think Makoto's Luna team just passed us, heading to our right. They'll break out into the open at that clearing near the suspension bridge in a couple of minutes."

"I don't have a clear shot, Miho" her gunner replied. "There's too much fog."

"That's ok, Hana. I have something else in mind." She dropped into the turret.

Yukari smiled brightly at her leader with thinly-veiled adoration. "What is your plan, Nishizumi-dono?"

"Makoto told me she isn't satisfied with her team's performance so far, even though I think they're doing really well" the team's sixteen-year-old commander spoke. "We don't have much more practice time before the match on Saturday, so let's turn up the heat on them just a little."

"How do you propose we do this, Miho-san?" Mako asked, the teen sounding like she had just woken up from a sound sleep.

"We'll use a flanking maneuver to sneak over to the clearing without them knowing we're there, then position our tank in front of the Luna team and meet them in a surprise head-on engagement. The only problem is, we'll need to get in close to accurately shoot in this weather, Mako. Think you can do it?"

The girl in the driver's seat smiled. "Sounds like fun." She reached over and pressed the starter button, bringing her Panzer's engine rumbling to life.

. . . . .

**Chapter 16:**

Just as Miho had predicted, Makoto's Panzer reached the edge of the grove less than two minutes later. Finding the thick fog stubbornly unrelenting, Minako grumbled, "We're finally almost clear of these trees, and I _still_ can't go any faster than a stupid crawl because of all this silly mist! I feel like I'm sitting inside a turtle!"

"It isn't a race, Minako-chan" her commander replied from above the Panzer's cupola. "Keep your speed low... on second thought, stop right now."

The blonde driver obediently brought the tank to a halt. "Why are we stopping here, Mako-chan?"

"Just a feeling I'm getting" the wary brunette replied. "I can't see more then five meters in front of our tank, but I'd swear someone's out there... waiting for us." A shiver crept down Usagi's spine as she heard Makoto quietly order the girl sitting behind her, "Rei-chan, load the gun."

"Hai..." Rei responded, then added a few seconds later, "The weapon is loaded."

At the gunner's station, Ami stared intently through her scope while slowly nudging the turret left and right. "No target, Mako-chan. Everything's completely cloudy. Perhaps my scope's optics have misted over."

"That could be a big problem for us." Makoto hesitated at making her next move, wondering if her feminine intuition was wrong, while scarcely three hundred meters away another teenage girl in another Panzer IV also stood in her turret , her tank's engine idling, its gun loaded and its crew silently waiting to pounce.

. . . . .

Miho smiled. "Makoto is learning fast" she told her crew. "I was wondering if her tank would pick up speed when they cleared the treeline, but I don't hear their engine anymore. They've stopped moving."

"Where do you think they are?" Hana asked, also peering through her scope. "Gomen nasai, Miho. I still can't see anything. Our ship must be passing through a really heavy fog bank."

"From the sound I heard, I'd guess... almost directly in front of us, Hana. At least that's where they were when they went silent."

"Do you want me to take a blind shot?" her gunner asked.

"No, I don't think so. There's a good chance we'd miss, and Ami would spot our muzzle flash and return fire directly at it." She told the girl, "No sense in giving ourselves away. But stay on the scope and be ready to aim and return fire immediately if they shoot first."

"Hai."

Mako asked from her place at the driver's controls, "So... we seem to be in a blind standoff, Miho-san. What's our next move?"

The young commander thought for a moment as damp, heavy fog continued to swirl around her school fuku. "Perhaps we can trick our opponent into revealing themselves, Mako. If they think there's a tank wandering around out here, they'll probably try getting closer and hope for an easy kill." She decided, "Hana, keep your finger on that trigger, you may need to shoot really quickly."

"I'm ready, Miho."

Miho spoke into her intercom, "It's now time to set our little trap. Mako, rev up the engine, but not too much. I want them to hear us, but not well enough to know exactly where we are."

"Hai." The petite girl wearing a white headband pressed down on the accelerator, increasing their tank's noise level from idle to a low, menacing rumble.

. . . . .

" _Minna, I think I_ _hear something!"_ Usagi gasped.

Stlll standing in the turret, Makoto grinned as the faint engine noise, just loud enough to be heard over her own Panzer's idling engine, also reached her ears. "I was right. There _is_ another tank out there." She listened intently for a few seconds. "It's got to be somewhere in front of us." The tall brunette frowned, "But I can't tell how far away it is, or which way it's going... or even if it's moving at all."

"I think we should get closer, Mako-chan" Minako suggested. "Let's start our day off with a bang!"

"This isn't the time to be hasty" her commander answered, still lost in thought. "Or... maybe it is." The street-smart teen continued listening to the faint growl eminating from somewhere deep within the fog for a few seconds more. A smile appeared on the tall brunette's lips. "Minna, I believe we're being baited." She told the other girls, "They want us to make the first move. And we will."

Ami was surprised at her friend's sudden decision. "Are you sure that's wise, Mako-chan?"

Makoto shrugged. "We'll soon find out." She listened yet again, trying to pinpoint the location of the distinctive tank engine sound before it faded away. "Ami-chan, aim your gun slightly more to to the right, please, just a tiny bit. A little more... more... that's good. Set up your shot assuming the target is... I'm guessing at three hundred and fifty meters."

Ami rotated the gun's elevation handle slightly. "Done, Mako-chan."

"Rei-chan, get ready for a really fast reload if we miss. We probably will."

"Hai!" The miko lifted another shell from the rack, cradling it snugly in her hands.

"We'll need to shift our position the second we fire, and turning this thing takes way too long. So, Minako-chan, keep us pointed straight ahead, and... I never thought I'd ever hear myself tell _you_ this" the brunette chuckled, "get ready to stomp the life out of that gas pedal."

"I thought you'd never ask!" the blonde in the driver's seat giggled. She eagerly poised her right foot above the accelerator. "I am _sooo_ ready!"

"What about me, Mako-chan?" Usagi wondered. "What should _I_ do?"

"Hold on tight."

Rei added, "And try not to scream so loud this time, Usagi-chan. It's giving everyone a headache."

"Fine" Usagi muttered.

Makoto crossed her fingers. "Ok, Ami-chan... shoot!"

. . . . .

Miho was only somewhat surprised when she saw the flash of light and heard the loud boom of Luna team's weapon. The shell whooshed towards the Anglerfish tank, knifing through the fog until it ever-so-lightly grazed one side of the Panzer's hull before continuing on out of sight.

'That was very close' she thought. 'Almost a kill. Impressive!' She next heard the sound of a distant engine screaming at full power. "Hana, shoot when ready!"

What seemed like a split-second later, her friend answered, "Firing now!"

Their long-barreled gun blazed back at once, expelling a heavy projectile toward what Miho assumed to be a fleeing Panzer. Before she knew if the shell had reached its target, Miho ordered her crew, "Yukari, reload! Mako, get us moving, fast! I don't want the other team running away if we missed!"

Not hearing the expected metallic clang of a shell striking armor, she asked her radio operator, "Saori, did you hear anything from Luna saying they're disabled?"

"Nothing yet, Miho. I'll keep listening."

Miho's Panzer rapidly accelerated to its top speed, as had Makoto's, with both girls unaware that they were blindly heading directly toward each other.

. . . . .

**Chapter 17:**

The two tanks quickly narrowed the fog-shrouded gap between them, with engines thundering and their wildly spinning tracks churning the grass beneath them to dirt. Miho and Makoto clung tightly to the rims of their turrets, both girls peering through thick murky air in the hope of spotting their adversary before another shot was fired.

Miho was first to spy a large dark silhouette looming out of the fog directly ahead of her tank, followed an instant later by Makoto, as her new friend's Panzer came barreling through the mist into view.

" _Mako, turn hard right!"_

" _Minako, turn left now!"_

Fortunately for the young commanders, their drivers had also glimpsed each other's Panzer, and wasted no time attempting to pivot the massive vehicles out of danger. Unfortunately, Mako and Minako both chose the same direction of escape. The tanks drew parallel to one another just as the outside edges of their fast-revolving tracks touched, rubbing together in a loud cacaphony of grinding metal and a shower of sparks.

The Panzers broke physical contact after a few seconds and began slowing down, though still running along mere centimeters apart, with Makoto and Miho staring speechlessly at one another. Both girls found themselves breaking into relieved smiles, then laughter, waving at each other before their Panzers parted ways.

Miho dropped into the base of the turret. "Great reflexes, Mako! That could've gotten ugly."

Her driver replied, "I've been feeling sleepy all morning, Miho-san. But I'm wide awake now."

. . . . .

Makoto also ducked inside out of the fog. "That was way too close! Minna, is everything ok in here... nani? Where's Usagi?"

"Odango atama is down there, Mako-chan" Rei pointed. "Don't worry, she's fine."

"No, I am _not_ fine, Rei-chan!" Usagi's voice angrily retorted from somewhere below, where she lay sprawled face-up on the floor of her station. Only her feet were visible, sticking up in the air beside her seat. "What was that awful scraping noise after Minako made that crazy turn, Mako-chan? It made me slide off my chair and fall down and... _Ohh! I squished my headphones!"_

"Mako-chan did tell you to hold on tight, Usagi-chan" Rei reminded her, unable to stop snickering at her friend's predicament.

While the odango-haired girl slowly righted herself amid much muttering and grumbling, Makoto complimented her driver. "Arigatou, Minako-chan. You and Mako both made your turns just in time."

The bubbly blonde smiled back over her shoulder. "Mako-chan, am I good, or am I _great?"_

"I'll go with great... at least for the moment" the brunette chuckled. "Take our tank back into the trees before Hana shoots at us again. We'll fix Usagi's mangled headphones, regroup and try something different that's hopefully... a little less exciting."

. . . . .

Thirty minutes later...

"Minna, that's it" Makoto sighed. "We've been taken out... again."

With the sharp sound of the kill still ringing in the ears of the girls of Luna team, the brunette pushed open the two-piece cupola hatch of her disabled Panzer and climbed out, standing on top of the turret. "Wonderful" she muttered. "The fog is finally lifting." Clattering tracks announced the arrival of the victor's tank, and Miho's Panzer soon pulled alongside.

Makoto gave her friend a respectful bow. "Sumimasen, Miho-san. I wish we'd done better today. That was a great kill."

The other commander smiled warmly back. "Please don't feel down, Makoto-san. You put up a really challenging fight! My team had to work hard to win this battle."

The brunette chuckled, "I thought we were doing pretty good too. That is, until we tried to sneak up behind you in the fog and Minako gave away our position when she drove straight into that tree."

The driver's hatch of her Panzer opened and Minako's head emerged. "Gomen, Mako-chan!" she apologized, her pretty face blushing red. "I guess I made a tiny little mistake, turning left when I should have turned right! Anyway, what a silly place to put a tree!"

"We're in the middle of a forest, Minako-chan. Where else would you expect to find a tree? In your apartment?"

"Good point!" the blonde giggled.

Makoto glared evilly at the small white flag that had popped up from the top of her Panzer. "If I see that damned flag one more time, I'm going to rip it right out of there and throw it over the side of the ship." She grinned, "Maybe we should start our next skirmish with the flag already up, Miho-san. It'd save everyone else the trouble of shooting at us."

The other Panzer's commander laughed, "Makoto-san, I've felt the exact same way more than once. A lot more, to be honest!"

"Are you _sure_ you still want us on your team when you go up against that other school on Saturday? I wouldn't want to do something dumb and ruin your chance of winning."

"Absolutely!" Miho nodded confidently. "I like the way you fight, Makoto-san. Your team is fast and aggressive, and Ami is an amazingly accurate gunner. We need skills like that against St. Gloriana."

"They're that good?"

"Hai, they are. Those girls are very disciplined, with powerful tanks and a strategy that's difficult to counter."

"Well... we'll give it our best, Miho-san" Makoto promised.

"Hai. I know you will."

. . . . .

After lunch, Miho escorted the new girls to another building on the Ooarai campus to collect their new Sensha-do uniforms. "We don't usually wear them unless we're competing against another school" she told her newest team.

"I hope they're bright orange!" Minako exclaimed. "Now _there's_ a color I look good in!"

"I hope they aren't" Ami shuddered.

The girls entered a large room containing long aisles of clothes-hanging bars with shelves beneath, and Miho led the other teens to a section containing blue-grey jackets and accompanying white skirts. "Here they are. Your names are sewn inside the collars. Minna, do you like how they look?"

Minako found her jacket, removed it from its hangar and eyed it critically before trying it on. "Well... it isn't orange, but it's not bad at all! I approve, Miho-san!"

Rei told the blonde, "Minako-chan, allow me to give an expert opinion. Your fashion sense obviously isn't nearly as refined as mine."

"Yes it is!"

Rei ignored her, trying on her own jacket in front of a nearby mirror. "Miho-san, these uniforms are tasteful, practical and elegant. They may even make Usagi appear somewhat competent, which is the highest praise I can possibly give them."

"I heard that!" Usagi scowled back.

"I hope so, Usagi-chan" Rei replied. "You're standing right next to me. At least your ears still work."

" _Miserable!"_

Miho giggled. "You _are_ close, to tease each other that way. Have you all really known one another for so long?"

"Hai" Makoto chuckled. "It feels like we've been together for... thousands of years." She heard Ami softly gasp and winked at her.

As her friends collected their new clothing, Makoto asked, "Miho-san, do you have any plans for tonight? If not, we'd like to return the favor and invite your team to my apartment for dinner. Maybe you can even tell us more about this St. Gloriana school and what to expect on Saturday."

"Hontou? If it's no trouble for you, I'm sure the girls would love to come! Arigatou! I think that becoming more familiar with St. Gloriana's team is a great idea too. What time would you like us to drop over?"

"Better make it six-thirty, Miho-san. I'm a little rusty and may need some extra time to prepare."

"We'll be there! You enjoy cooking, Makoto-san? I admit I'm not very good at it."

Usagi answered for her brunette friend with a wide grin. "Miho-san, when it comes to Mako-chan and her cooking, _I'm_ the _real_ expert here! And I can truthfully say, get ready for a meal that'll knock your socks off!"

. . . . .

**Chapter 18:**

That evening:

"Minna, was I right about Mako-chan's skill in the kitchen?" Usagi asked as she finished her last dumpling. "I was, wasn't I?" she grinned.

"You definitely were, Usagi-san!" Miho agreed. "Makoto-san, I'm jealous! How did you ever learn to prepare such tasty dishes? I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a meal so much."

The brunette blushed. "Well.."

"She has plenty of experience cooking for Usagi" Rei said. "That girl can devour food like there's no tomorrow. Her reputation is legendary across nearly every restaurant and take-out shop in Tokyo."

"It's called having a healthy appetite, for your information!" Usagi protested. "Anyway, enough picking on me, Rei-chan! All I need to know is if there'll be dinner at the party tomorrow night."

"See what I mean?" the raven-haired girl laughed.

"If those rumors Mako and I heard are still true about past shore-parties, there'll probably be a self-serve buffet to start the evening with, Usagi-san" Saori told her. "So don't worry too much about going hungry."

"If it's a buffet, Usagi will be fine. It's everyone else who'll be going hungry!" Minako giggled.

"Now _everyone_ is picking on me!" the other blonde moaned.

"Don't forget the tea, Saori" Mako spoke up. "Endless oceans and oceans of tea."

"Hai, the tea, and there'll likely be wine too, if tea isn't... your cup of tea." Saori giggled, "Minna, that was a good one!" as her friends all groaned at the well-worn pun. The ginger-haired teen mused, "I really hope there'll be boys this time."

"Of course there will, Saori-san!" Minako insisted. "But choose wisely, and be sure to get his phone number and all that other important stuff before the party is over. Before you know it, you'll be dating regularly. Then comes the romantic proposal" she swooned, "and the ring, and then you'll be well on your way to a lifetime of-"

"Getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren't we Minako-chan?" Makoto cut her off. "Saori-san, take my advice. Don't panic and try to rush into things. Just play it by ear, trust your heart and let nature take its course."

"Wrong, wrong, _wrong!"_ Minako blurted. "Mako-chan, I know what I'm talking about! Just ask Ami, she knew exactly what to say and do to let her lover boy know she was interested in him. If she hadn't taken the initiative, she'd still be waiting for her shy Ryo to tell her that he loves her. But instead, she made her feelings known to him and now they're happily living together!"

The blue-haired girl's cheeks began to redden when Saori and Yukari abruptly stared at her, wide-eyed. " _Ami-san!"_ Yukari gasped in awe. "You _live_ with your boyfriend? _Under the same roof and everything?"_

"Uh... hai. I do, Yukari-san" Ami meekly replied, staring down at her empty plate.

"They share the same bed too!" Minako added, her grin widening as she watched her shy blue-haired friend wilt and her blush deepen.

Saori was stunned almost beyond words. "But Ami-san, that means... you and your guy... you know... _do it?"_

"I'll say they do!" Minako cackled. "At every opportunity! They're almost as bad as my honey sugar and me! Which is, of course, a good thing!" She raised an index finger, emphasizing the point. "A healthy love life is a very important part of any serious, permanent relationship. You know" the blonde mused, "a boyfriend is a lot like a tank, if you really think about it."

"Oh? Planning on running your Taro into a tree sometime soon, Minako-chan?" Rei smirked.

"That's not what I mean, silly! I'm saying that boyfriends and tanks are both bigger and stronger than us, but are always under a girl's complete control, ready to respond to her every feminine whim and willing to satisfy her deepest desires. So we girls should maximize our pleasure by always getting the most out of them." She giggled, "That's why I drive our Panzer the very same way I love to drive my boyfriend! Hard and fast!"

The other girls in the room sat in utter silence for several seconds, with only Makoto muttering, "That's _way_ more information than I needed to hear tonight."

Saori and Yukari both suddenly stood up and bowed, even more deeply in awe of the five new transfer students, while Ami's cheeks now having flushed to a bright shade of crimson. "Minna, we can learn a lot from our knowledgeable new friends on the Luna team!" Saori reverently spoke, with Yukari adding, "I am honored to be in their presence!"

 _"Oh dear!"_ Ami murmured, hiding her face behind her hands.

Makoto tried to help Ami out by changing the subject. "Miho-san, what kind of tanks does St. Gloriana use? Is there anything special we should know about them?"

"Hmm... tanks...? Oh, _tanks!"_ Miho struggled to refocus her thoughts on the question at hand. "Hai, they'll probably field a Churchill, which is big and slow, but difficult to kill because of its heavy armor, and three Matildas, a good match for our Panzers. Ami-san, please excuse my forwardness, but you really do sleep with...?"

"Someone's mind is wandering" Hana giggled.

"Sumimasen!" Now it was Miho's turn to blush. "Where was I? Hai, tanks! Um... the best method we've found so far is to take out the Matildas first, then concentrate our final attack on the Churchill with whatever firepower we have left, Makoto-san. Under this weekend's rules, whichever team has the last functioning boyfriend...gomen! I mean _tank!_ Whoever has the last functioning _tank_ wins the match." The Anglerfish commander began fanning her face with one hand. "Minna, anyone else find it warm in here?"

"So what you're saying is, we should try to have at least two working tanks available when we go after the Churchill" Makoto stated, staying firmly on-topic. "Just to be absolutely sure we can knock it out."

"Hai. That would be ideal" Miho nodded.

"Which other Ooarai teams will be joining us?"

"That was a difficult decision, Makoto-san. We both have our Panzer IV's, and we'll be accompanied by Hippo team's StuG III and Turtle team's converted Hetzer. They aren't as versatile as our other tanks, but we need their powerful guns."

"It sounds like we're in for a hard-fought battle" the brunette thought aloud.

"But first comes the shore-party, Makoto-san" Mako quietly said. "Which may prove to be even more difficult to survive."

. . . . .

**Chapter 19:**

"Hurry up, Usagi-chan! It's nearly four! We're going to miss the bus!"

"Ok ok! I'm coming, Rei-chan! Keep your fuku on!"

The raven-haired girl outside Usagi's apartment door ceased her knocking, and waited until the blonde inside appeared. "Finally! What kept you so long?"

"I needed to freshen up, Annoying-chan! Isn't a girl allowed a few minutes to get ready for a party? And why are you taking your purse with you?"

"I'm bringing my cigarettes in case Ami and I are allowed to smoke after dinner... Nosey-chan!"

" _Nosey-chan?_ Of all the nerve!"

Grumbling to herself, Usagi followed her friends downstairs and walked to the assigned pickup area a block away from their apartments. A large silver motorcoach was parked there, sporting the blue and white Ooarai Girls Academy school crest on each side, and with nearly all members of the other Sensha-do teams already waiting within. A hall monitor standing beside the door checked off each of the girls' names on her list as they climbed aboard.

Makoto chuckled, "Looks like everyone took Anzu's threat seriously. That Anglerfish dance Momo mentioned must be awfully humiliating."

They found seats together near the front and waited for the last girl to board. Just as the bus, driven by a third-year student of their Academy's vehicle club, began to pull away from the curb, they heard Miho's voice call out from somewhere behind them.

_"Panzer Vor!"_

A chorus of laughter filled the coach, and the teenage girls settled down for the ride ahead.

Minako asked the other blonde, "Did you bring your appetite, Usagi-chan?"

"Hai! I'm starving!"

"And there goes the buffet!" Rei muttered.

"Quiet, Rei-chan!"

Someone at the back of the vehicle began singing Yuki No Shingun, and most of the passengers quickly joined in as the bus drove through town, making its way toward a lower deck access ramp.

"Ami-chan, what's that catchy tune everyone's singing?" Usagi asked. "I've never heard it before."

"The Snow March? I'm somewhat familiar with it from history class" Ami replied. She lowered her voice and continued, "I'm unsure what specific situation it refers to in _this_ world, but in the Japan of our dimension it's actually an old, rather sad song about Japanese soldiers on a particularly unpleasant winter march, where many perished from extreme cold and lack of food."

"Oh! That's _horrible_ , Ami-chan!" Usagi gasped.

"We'll be singing it again after everyone finds out you've eaten all the food at the buffet tonight" Rei teased her hungry friend. Usagi scowled back at the miko but held her tongue.

With the bus approaching one side of their school ship, another vastly larger vessel moored near the Zuikaku came looming into view. " _Minna!_ Look at the size of that ship beside us!" Minako exclaimed. "And I thought _ours_ was big!"

"It's positively gigantic!" Makoto agreed, craning her neck to peer up at the ship's towering presence through a bus window. "It must be the St. Gloriana Girls College we'll be competing against tomorrow afternoon."

"You're correct, Mako-chan" Ami nodded. "They call it the Ark Royal. It's quite impressive!"

Miho left her seat and walked up the aisle to chat with her new friends after the bus had stopped, held up by a line of other traffic also departing the Zuikaku. "Ohayou! Before we left, Anzu gave me a sheet containing more information about the on-shore party we're attending. There will be a buffet, so those rumors were true, Usagi-san."

"That's a big relief!" Usagi grinned happily.

Miho laughed, "I thought you'd be pleased to know that!" She continued, "Dinner will be followed by some time socializing with the St. Gloriana girls and other guests afterward. Oh, and there's supposed to be music and dancing after that." The bus began rolling again and she smiled, "I'd better get back to my seat. Minna, my team is hoping you'll sit with us at our table tonight, if you'd like to."

"We'd love to, Miho-san" Rei agreed appreciatively. "Arigatou!"

After she left, Minako beamed, "I _knew_ it! If there's dancing, there has to be boys to dance with! Which means fate is helping me find those five special someones for all the Anglerfish girls! Hehe! My secret plan is finally coming together!"

"That's ok, Minako-chan" Makoto grinned. "I'm sure there'll be plenty of time later for your not-so-secret plan to fall apart. As it usually does."

" _Hmph!"_

The bus drove down a long loading ramp and passed through the city's port facilities. "That's odd" Ami mused. "I've been to Yokohama once before during a scholastic competition a few years ago, but this version of the city seems somewhat different from what I remember."

"It _is_ strange, this dimension we were sent to" Rei spoke. "At first glance everything feels just like home, but there are so many small differences that make it truly unique. And some huge differences too. Like the school ships, for example. And Sensha-do."

"I wish they had Sensha-do back at Juuban" Minako thought wistfully. "Our regular classes with Haruna-sensei will feel so dreadfully boring and dull when we finally return home." She murmured, "If only Taro could be here with me... I don't think I'd ever leave."

"I find myself feeling the very same way, Minako-chan" Ami admitted. "Our classes at Ooarai have been quite stimulating. And like you, I'm enjoying Sensha-do far more than I ever thought possible. The only piece missing is my Ryo. I miss him terribly."

"I miss my Taro so much it hurts my heart" Minako sighed. "But that's ok, because when we finally get back to Mako-chan's house, my sugar muffin and I are going to make up for all this lost love-love time! Hai, we certainly will!"

Rei gave the blonde a sly grin. "Hard and fast, Minako-chan?"

"Ohhh yes!" the blonde girl with seemingly endless libido gleefully giggled. "Over and over and _over_ again! _All night long!"_

. . . . .

The coach travelled several kilometers further inland before eventually turning into what appeared to be a large concrete parking lot. After braking to a stop, the passengers began clambering out to find a massive desert-brown tent set up nearby, with another somewhat smaller structure alongside. Each of the tent's angled roof panels bore a large insignia, the school's famous cup-and-teapot crest.

"That main tent must have room for at least three hundred people" Makoto observed. "Maybe even more. I guess the other one is the kitchen. I wish I could take a quick look inside."

"If the St. Gloriana girls know Usagi is coming, the larger one is probably just covering the buffet" Rei teased. "And it _still_ isn't big enough."

"Stop exaggerating, Rei-chan!"

The miko feigned surprise. "I was exaggerating? Gomen nasai, Usagi-chan" the raven-haired girl apologized in her most innocent tone of voice. "I didn't realize it."

" _Ohh!_ Now you're making it worse!" Usagi fumed.

Miho and three members of her team got off the bus and joined their new friends. Miho told their commander, "This will become the staging area for our tanks tomorrow, Makoto-san." She pointed, "The match will take place slightly further inland at a location that looks a little like a very large park, but with much more rugged landscape."

"I''m really looking forward to our battle tomorrow, Minako-san!" Yukari exclaimed. "And maybe tonight I'll even meet a cute boy and fall in love!"

Saori immediately retorted, "If there's only one eligible guy here, I've got dibs on him! And if there's two boys, you'll have to fight Mako for the other one. Isn't that right, Mako?" She spun around. "Mako? _Where are-_ Minna, don't go anywhere yet, Mako is still asleep on the bus."

After Saori hurried back inside, Yukari giggled.

"I should've brought my bugle."

. . . . .

(Author's note: In case anyone's interested, here's Wikipedia's English translation of Yuki No Shingun, as partially sung by Yukari and Riko (Erwin) in GuP episode 9:)

Marching in the snow, stepping on ice

We can't even tell road from river

The horses are beaten, but we can't leave them

Just what is this place? It's all enemy country

Oh well, if we breathe a little bravery

I'll only ask for little: two of your cigarettes

..

Dried fish that won't cook becomes our half-boiled meals

It's not long before we're living half-boiled days

For this cold that can't be endured, a bonfire

Surely it will smoke, chaps! The green wood smoulders

Putting on a bitter face, a skillful speech

The "sour" thing here's a pickled plum

..

The clothes we wear are our carefree beds

We cover under our overcoats on knapsack pillows

With the warmth of our backs, the snow thaws

Soaking wet our millet-husk bedding

In bivouacs that won't tie, there are dreams

That the moon peeks into, coldly

..

Because we came here offering our lives

With a death resolution, even as we charge shouting

If the fortunes of war so wish, we must die in battle

The donated padded clothes, entwined in duty

Slowly, slowly, fasten upon our necks

Anyhow, the intention wasn't to let us return alive

. . . . .

**Chapter 20:**

"The note Anzu gave me stated that dinner starts promptly at five" Miho told her friends. "We've arrived a little early but I guess it's ok to go inside and claim our table."

The other nine girls of Anglerfish and Luna teams followed her into the voluminous rectangular tent. They noticed that just past the entrance, teens dressed in white St. Gloriana culinary department school uniforms were busily preparing the buffet serving area for the upcoming meal. Leading away from the girls down both long sides of the tent, rows of folding tables and chairs were already in place, with each table seating a dozen people and draped with a ornately-embroidered linen tablecloth bearing the St. Gloriana school crest.

Across the far end of the canvas structure were yet more tables, and a small stage had been erected with a microphone and sound equipment in one corner. Speakers playing soft background music stood on long poles arround the inside perimeter of the tent, while multiple sets of lights hung from cables beneath the roof. The center section of the structure was left completely open, providing more than enough free space for mingling and dancing.

A nearby sign indicated that the left side tables were reserved for the teens from Ooarai Girls Academy, the right side for students from St. Gloriana, and the remaining tables near the stage were intended for guest seating. Minako noticed that all of the guest chairs were currently empty and frowned disapprovingly at them. "Where are all the boys we were promised? _We need boys!"_

Rei laughed, "Maybe they found out you and Usagi were attending and decided it would be a lot safer not to come, Minako-chan. A wise move if you ask me."

"This is no time for silly jokes, Rei-chan!"

"Nice setup they have here" Makoto observed. "If this was a permanent building, it would probably make the beginnings of a decent restaurant."

"St. Gloriana is a highly renowned and very wealthy school, Makoto-san" Miho told her. "Other than Saunders, which is _obscenely_ rich, they basically have the best of everything."

"Does that include their tanks, Miho-san?" the brunette asked. "It's starting to sound like we're going to be badly out-gunned tomorrow."

"Perhaps" Miho mused. "I think much depends on the skill and daring of the crews on both sides, Makoto-san." She smiled brightly, "I suppose we'll learn the definitive answer to that question during the exhibition match tomorrow." Miho lead her group of ten second-year students to a left-side table two rows back from the stage. "Minna, this looks like a nice spot. Let's sit here."

The girls chose their seats, with the students leaving those two chairs nearest the canvas wall vacant. Ami noted that each prearranged place setting contained a gold-rimmed teacup and saucer in fine bone china, a long-stemmed wine glass, and european cutlery in polished sterling silver.

"Ohh, fancy!" Usagi exclaimed after picking up a salad fork and examining the gleaming utensil. "Mako-chan, we really should eat like this at your house."

"No problem, Usagi-chan" the brunette grinned. "Just as soon as I earn my first ten million yen or so."

Rei placed her small purse on the table. "Miho-san, would you happen to know if I'm permitted to smoke here after our meal?'

"That shouldn't be an issue, Rei-san" Miho answered with a reassuring smile. "I'm certain you aren't the only girl in this tent who enjoys an after-dinner cigarette. I must admit I do too, but usually only on special occasions."

As the tent began to fill with more and more students taking seats on both sides, a server approached the teens' table pushing a cart containing bottles of red wine. After she had opened four of them, spaced them neatly down the center of the table and bowed politely before moving on, Ami became curious and rotated the nearest bottle to read its label. "The wine they're serving tonight is also of quite high quality, Rei-chan. St Gloriana is certainly sparing no expense on this party."

"Hai, I noticed that too, Ami-chan. I wonder why..." The raven-haired teen then cautioned the odango-haired girl sitting beside her, "Usagi-chan, remember your ridiculously low tolerance for alcohol. Only half a glass tonight, ok?"

"I'm not having any wine tonight, Rei-chan. I'm going to try drinking some of that fancy foreign tea this school is supposed to have."

"Good. That's another disaster averted" the relieved miko said.

" _Disaster?_ I wish you'd stop treating me like a child" Usagi grumbled. "I'm a high school student, just like everyone else here!"

"And if you don't work harder on improving your grades, you'll still be a high school student ten years from now."

While Usagi sat sulking quietly in her seat, Yukari suddenly uttered with a loud gasp, " _Minna!_ Some boys just arrived! Wait! Make that a _lot_ of boys!"

" _Where?"_ Minako and Saori blurted in unison, with both girls swivelling around so quickly they nearly spun themselves out of their chairs.

 _"I see them!"_ Saori exclaimed, watching nearly two dozen teenage males stream into the tent. "They must've all just got here on the same bus! And they're all really cute!" she giggled, her smile growing ever wider. "Minako-san, you were right! Things _are_ looking up!"

"Of course I was, Saori-san!" Minako bragged. "After all, you're dealing with a genuine love expert here! In fact, some people even refer to me as Venus! You know, after the love goddess and the planet- _Ow! Rei-chan, that hurt!"_

The miko stared back, locking eyes with the blonde. "Gomen. My foot slipped."

Across their table, Mako and Hana also closely eyed the new arrivals, all of whom they noted were neatly dressed in gakuran consisting of dark maroon jackets and black pants. The school uniform seemed vaguely familiar to Miho but she wasn't entirely sure why until some of the boys drew closer and she spotted the crests on their jackets, jogging her memory.

Feeling more than a little disappointed, the Anglerfish commander breathed a melancholy sigh. She told her team, "Minna, don't get your hopes up."

"Why not, Miho?" Saori puzzled. "They all certainly look like nice, eligible guys to me! I'm going to dance the night away with the first boy who has enough nerve to walk over to me and introduce himself!"

But the unpleasant truth was revealed seconds later when every last male promptly ignored the tables containing smiling and hopeful Ooarai girls in their white and green sera fuku, and turned instead to find and greet their girlfriends in blue from St. Gloriana, sharing joyful hugs and more than a few tender kisses.

Yukari's shoulders sagged, as her earlier optimism faded away through saddening dark brown eyes. She murmured, "I guess finding a boyfriend here tonight isn't going to happen after all."

Two seats away from her, Minako's eyes bulged wide in disbelief. " _Nani?_ Do you mean to tell me they're _all_ spoken for, Miho-san? _All_ _of them?"_

"I'm afraid so, Minako-san" Miho answered in an uncharacteristically glum tone. "The school ship these boys are from is also based here in Yokohama. That's how the St. Gloriana girls know them. Some of those couples have probably been dating for years."

Despite feeling bad about her new friends' misfortune, Makoto couldn't resist quietly teasing her boastful future sister-in-law. The tall brunette leaned closer to the dumbfounded blonde sitting beside her and whispered in her ear, "How's that secret plan working out so far, Minako-chan?"

. . . . .

**Chapter 21:**

Forty-five minutes later...

Usagi returned to her friends' table juggling two large plates, both piled high with a random assortment of dishes. "That lineup is way too long! It took me forever to get this, and all that standing around is killing my feet!"

"That _is_ your third trip to the buffet, Usagi-chan. My mistake, it's your fourth."

"It _is?"_ the blonde grinned. "Oh. I guess I lost track, Mako-chan! Anyway, this isn't all for me." She slid one of the plates in front of Minako. "Here, Minako-chan. Try this delicious food. You haven't eaten a single bite since the buffet opened."

"Thanks, Usagi-chan, but I'm still not hungry." Appearing more depressed than Usagi had ever seen her before, the usually bubbly, upbeat girl promptly pushed the plate back. "You can have it."

Hana softly spoke, "It's not your fault all the boys were already taken, Minako-san. How could you possibly have known?"

"Hai! Cheer up, Minako-san!" Yukari urged her with her brightest smile, though she and the other Anglerfish girls still felt growing pangs of disappointment within their hearts. "Maybe next time things will be different!"

Minako's mood darkened even further. "Hai... next time..."

. . . . .

After ensuring they were alone inside the large wheeled washroom facility hidden behind the main tent, Ami stood beside the one of the porcelean wash basins and asked, "This is about as private a place as we'll find here, Rei-chan. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I've been getting really strange vibes since this whole thing started, Ami-chan. The exaggerated opulence, the seperation of Ooarai students from their hosts, the whole boyfriend thing... not to mention all of us sitting around like wallflowers later, watching the St. Gloriana couples dancing... something just doesn't seem right."

"Perhaps this is nothing more than standard practice for a large and famous school such as St. Gloriana" Ami suggested. "We are newcomers to this world after all."

"I know. But still..." An idea began to take shape in the young miko's mind. "Ami-chan, how do you think the other girls, Miho and her team especially, feel right now?"

"Well... it's safe to assume they're disappointed, because many of the girls from our school had hoped to meet and even make friends with a boy this evening... a condition that will undoubtedly worsen during the dance later... and after witnessing such precise organization and lavishness as we have experienced here, perhaps even a touch of... self doubt?"

Rei nodded. "Hai. Exactly."

"Rei-chan, are you suggesting this is all an attempt to demoralize our teams before tomorrow's event? Miho told us that St. Gloriana is a very respectable institution, with a long track record of fair play. I'm finding it difficult to believe that they would even consider stooping to such a level as playing psychological games with their competitors."

"Maybe you're right, Ami-chan" the raven-haired girl mused. "I could very well be over-analyzing things. But I still have my suspicions."

. . . . .

At the table, Minako abruptly stood up. "Minna, I'll be back soon. I just need a few minutes alone outside to collect my thoughts." She briskly walked away, and Makoto placed her hand on Usagi's shoulder when the other blonde also began to stand. "Stay here, Usagi-chan. Give Minako her private time, ok?"

"But I want to help-"

The brunette shook her head. "No. Sometimes the best thing a friend can do in a case like this is to do nothing at all. Let her work it out. Trust me. She will."

"Are you sure, Mako-chan?"

"Hai. It's a road I've travelled down many times before."

. . . . .

Inside the smaller of the two tents, a St. Gloriana third-year student wearing the only red Sensha-do competition jacket at the party walked quietly through the busy kitchen towards a closed flap at the rear of the structure, cup and saucer in hand. She brushed the flap aside, entering a much smaller room containing a tiny folding field desk and two other third year students, both of whom were sipping coffee.

She regarded the other girls silently for a few moments before she spoke, her tone neutral but with just the slightest hint of anger behind her words.

"Why was I not informed of this earlier?"

One of the teens replied, "If you're referring to Operation Demoralize, it was, and remains none of your concern, Darjeeling."

"Is that so?" The overall commander of St. Gloriana's Sensha-do teams paused to sip her tea. "I had assumed that the presence of our school's intelligence agency at this event was one of providing any necessary security. It now appears I was mistaken."

The second agent smiled. "You should be grateful for our work, Commander. If we achieve success this evening, many of the Ooarai girls will be performing under some small measure of duress during tomorrow's match, which should make victory that much easier for you to attain."

Darjeeling frowned. "I am most decidedly _not_ grateful. Rather, I am disappointed that our school should think it necessary to adopt such measures. Success on the Sensha-do battlefield should be earned by gallantry, by skill and tactics, not through your cloak-and-dagger skullduggery. You dishonor us."

"We were requested to conceive and carry out Demoralize by none other than our Student Council" the first girl pointed out. "It was said that the loss of face to St. Gloriana if we are finally defeated by such an insignificant school as Ooarai was entirely unacceptable."

"Oh?" Darjeeling smiled. "Need I remind you who won the National Tournament mere days ago? It begs the question then, of how the Council would feel about a forfeit of tomorrow's match by my teams. I will not knowingly compete in bad faith. Not now. And not ever."

"You can't do that!"

"Can I not?" Darjeeling again sipped her tea. "Try me."

The room fell silent for a short while, until one of the girls eventually relented. "Very well. We shall terminate Operation Demoralize, effective immediately. But please bear in mind, much has already been accomplished."

"I will. And I will personally accept full responsibility for the outcome of tomorrow's match, which I intend to win fairly and entirely above board. Arigatou." With that, Darjeeling spun on her heel and left the room.

. . . . .

**Chapter 22:**

Sitting quietly sipping tea at her table, Usagi watched Ami and Rei walk over and take their seats. "Where did you two run off to? The buffet just finished."

"Where we were isn't important" Rei said. She needled her friend, "So... you've emptied yet another kitchen and probably driven those poor chefs to the brink of exhaustion. Quite the accomplishment."

"I didn't empty any kitchens, Rei-chan. As a matter of fact, I've been really restrained with my appetite tonight. So there!"

"Well, I suppose there's a first time for everything" the raven-haired girl replied. "Don't take everything I say so personally, Usagi-chan. You know I'm just teasing you. At least I am most of the time."

"Rei-chan, I'm starting to think you never really mean anything bad when you tease me. You do it just to watch my reaction, or maybe see how calm I can stay."

"Finally! It took you long enough to realize that, Usagi-chan. Two whole years!" She smiled, "And you _are_ improving... slowly."

The odango-haired girl smiled happily, "Ok! Then does this mean you won't tease me anymore? Never ever again?"

"Of course not."

Usagi sighed. "I just can't win."

. . . . .

Rei's attention was drawn a minute later to the table between her and the stage, where their Student Council members sat alongside the six first-year students of Rabbit team. She gestured to Makoto to follow her gaze.

The brunette chuckled, "Anzu is really hitting the wine tonight. She'd better be careful she doesn't overdo it."

They watched their council president polish off the last of the red liquid in front of her in a single gulp and immediately reach for the nearest bottle, refilling her glass nearly to the brim.

The tall, thin Ooarai public relations manager sitting beside her tactfully cautioned the petite girl, "Don't you think you've had enough for tonight, Anzu?"

"Nonsense, Momo! Just a little more!"

"It may already be too late" Rei laughed. Noticing that half a dozen other girls scattered around the tent now held cigarettes between their fingers, she flagged down a passing attendant who was collecting the last of the dinner plates. "Would it be possible for us to get an ashtray at our table?"

"But of course, miss. I'll bring one right over" the girl nodded politely before hurrying away.

"These St. Gloriana girls are very efficient at their work, Rei-chan" Ami remarked. "I've experienced much less attentive service in well-established restaurants." The blue-haired girl continued quietly mulling over her earlier discussion with Rei in the restroom, still wondering if the miko's suspicions would prove to be correct.

. . . . .

Outside under a cloudless, slowly darkening sky, Aino Minako stood leaning against the back of the Ooarai motorcoach, dejectedly staring at the ground beneath her feet. She knew that her makeshift plan had ended in utter disaster, just as Makoto had predicted, and the thought that she had failed her five new friends deeply grieved her heart. The blonde sighed, and was about to rejoin Miho and her team and apologize to them, when the voice of a young male reached her ears. It sounded as though he was pleading with a St. Gloriana student who stood forbidding him entrance to the party.

"Are you _sure_ we can't go in?" Minako heard the boy ask again, his words tinged with disappointment. "We've come a long way. We would have gotten here sooner, but we took the wrong bus from the train station."

"I'm very sorry, but you aren't on the appoved guest list" the girl in blue replied, her voice cold and firm.

Minako found herself striding quickly over to the dispute, quickly realizing that there were four other boys waiting near the tent in addition to the one talking to the St. Gloriana girl. Minako judged the males to be in their mid-teens and wore matching grey jackets and black pants. As she approached the group from behind and examined the first boy more closely, she gasped, 'That guy near the door... he looks a lot like my Taro! A whole lot! He even _sounds_ like him! _Could it be?'_

She hurried up behind him, her heart skipping a beat.

 _"Taro-chan?_ Is that you?"

The boy in question turned to face her, and Minako noticed he was holding what appeared to be a carefully rolled-up document or poster of some kind. "Taro? Gomen nasai, miss. My name isn't Taro. I am Ikeda Toshiro."

"Oh! Gomen! My mistake!" the blonde giggled. "You happen to look like my boyfriend! I mean... with a few tiny changes, you could almost be his twin!"

"No problem" the young man replied with a friendly smile. "Um... perhaps you can help us" he spoke shyly. "My brother Yusei and I travelled here today along with three of our closest friends to try and meet Ooarai's Anglerfish team in person." He gestured at the paper in his hand. "We were hoping to somehow get their autographs on the Ooarai Girls Academy's Sensha-do publicity poster we brought with us."

" _Really?"_

"Hai. We're all huge fans of Nishizumi-san and the other girls on her team." The boy added, blushing slightly as he spoke, "Each of us even has their favourite."

Minako suddenly sensed that all may not yet be lost. "You do? Tell me more" she prodded, smiling sweetly at the nervous male. "Who do _you_ like best, Ikeda-san?"

" _Me?_ I... um... I really like Reizei-san, their driver" he said, his blush deepening. "Please don't tell her I said that!" He continued, "We were even in the audience during the last event of the National Tournament, cheering them on. But now..." he frowned, "now we're being refused entry to the party."

"You are, are you?" Minako's eyes narrowed and she promptly fixed her sternest who-do-you-think-you-are glare upon the girl blocking their path. "What's the problem here? Why can't these nice sweet boys meet with Miho and the other Anglerfish girls?"

"Only males from the school ship based in Yokohama are permitted at tonight's party" the student at the entrance bluntly insisted. "Those are the rules."

"That's a silly rule! A _ridiculous_ rule!" Minako sputtered. " _This is most unfair!"_

The girl remained stubbornly steadfast in her refusal. "Sorry, but rules are rules."

Toshiro nodded glumly. "I understand. I guess we'll be leaving then. Sorry to have bothered you."

A female voice from the other side of the tent's opening suddenly spoke, "Allow these honored guests entry, Muika-san. That rule has been permanently rescinded, effective immediately."

Muika spun around. "But I have my orders, Darjeeling! I can't just ignore them!"

The St. Gloriana commander stepped closer, still holding her ornate china teacup. "You can, and you will. Disregard those orders at once."

"Uh... hai." Muika meekly complied, stepping to one side and gesturing to the new arrivals, "You may now enter."

The five teenage boys bowed gratefully to the blonde girl in the red jacket. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Darjeeling-san!"

After a closer look at the remaining four guests, Minako realized that each of the boys bore an uncanny resemblance to one of the Sailor Senshi's fiancees. 'Maybe they're who _our_ guys would be if they lived in this dimension!' she thought, feeling a shiver run up her spine. ' _This is crazy strange!'_

Darjeeling calmly sipped from her teacup, then smiled at Minako. "I do not believe we have had the pleasure of meeting yet. Would you by chance happen to be a member of Miho's rumored new team?"

"Hai!" Minako briskly nodded. "I'm Aino Minako, Panzer driver for Kino Makoto's Luna team!" She also bowed deeply to the unfamiliar girl in the red uniform. "Thank you so very much for your help! I'm sure this was all just a silly misunderstanding."

"I look forward to meeting you on the field of battle tomorrow, Aino-san. And I wish you well." After graciously returning Minako's bow, Darjeeling turned and walked away.

Minako was beside herself with joy. "Ok guys! Let me introduce you to Miho and Saori and Yukari and... um... by the way, where did you say you were from, Ikeda-san?"

"We're all from Ooarai" the young man told her. Toshiro chuckled, "The town, not your girls' school ship, of course. Our own school ship is back in port there for a few days, undergoing important repairs."

"Of course!" Minako giggled, gleefully thinking _'So perfect!_ ' Wearing a beaming smile she reentered the tent, gesturing at them to follow her.

"Minna, come with me and meet your date with destiny!"

. . . . .

Back inside the canvas tent, lights began to flicker on above the teens as dusk approached. Miho found herself struggling to push any further thoughts of boys and dancing and dating from her mind, instead attempting to focus her thoughts on tactics for the next day's competition. "Makoto-san, after we finally escape from here, I'd like to get together with you and my other commanders to... to... _nani_...?" Her voice faded as she caught sight of something unbelievable occurring at the other end of the tent.

Aino Minako was triumphantly striding directly towards her table, with the bubbly blonde sporting the widest of smiles on her happy face, and leading five cute teenage boys who were obediently tagging along behind her.

Miho blinked twice. " _Am I... seeing things?"_

 _"Mako! Wake up!"_ Saori hissed. "I think we've got company on the way! _Boy_ company!"

Her drowsy friend's eyes sprang open and she instantly bolted upright in her chair. "Nani? _Where?"_

Yukari and Hana could only silently stare at the spectacle unfolding nearby, unable to utter a single sound.

"Minna, what am I missing?" Makoto asked. She quickly turned in her seat to see what all the commotion was about.

"I don't believe it!" the tall brunette grinned. "Minako actually pulled it off!"

. . . . .


End file.
